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| Chrysler Royal Town and Country Six-Passenger 'Barrelback' Station Wagon 1941 |
In 1941, Chrysler introduced a unique wood-bodied car to the six-cylinder Windsor line. It was neither sedan nor pure station wagon, as it had a fastback profile with twin hinged doors at the rear. In contrast to most wood-bodied utility vehicles, the new Town and Country car, as the company initially called it, had lavishly varnished wood inside and quality upholstery. The name reportedly came from the design of the car, which was “town” (metal) in front and “country” (wood) in back.
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| Chrysler Royal Town and Country Six-Passenger 'Barrelback' Station Wagon 1941 |
This first edition of the Town and Country has become known as the “Barrelback,” from its rounded rear styling combining with “clamshell” rear doors. The doors lead to a large and useful storage area behind the rear passenger seats. A nine-passenger version was also offered, with a limousine-type folding bench seat between the two rows of standard seats.
Exactly 996 were built, with approximately 200 of them in six-passenger configuration and the rest as nine-seaters with rear quarter windows. In addition, a single prototype was built on an eight-cylinder chassis. While restored 1941 Town and Countrys are occasionally seen at concours d’elegance, they are almost always the nine-passenger model. Only twenty-two 1941 Town and Countrys are known and only four of these are the six-passenger model; as a result, they are very seldom offered for public sale.
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| Chrysler Royal Town and Country Six-Passenger 'Barrelback' Station Wagon 1941 |
This stunning car is believed to be the only six-passenger 1941 Town and Country with factory “blind rear quarters” of the four remaining.
The car shown here is a rare, wonderful exception, having benefited from an outstanding restoration, which was completed around 2006. Its body wood is described as “near-perfect” with a splendid, deep sheen, thanks to the exquisite wood work of Glazier Coach & Pattern Works, of Houston, Ohio. The chassis has been authentically restored to factory standards, and very importantly, the dashboard, including the steering wheel, has correct, mostly NOS red “modeled” plastic. The car has remained for many years in the important private collection of one of the country’s foremost Town and Country enthusiasts, where it has been painstakingly well-maintained.
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| Chrysler Royal Town and Country Six-Passenger 'Barrelback' Station Wagon 1941 |
Mechanically, it was fully restored, with a recent re-fresh by Harms Distinctive Restorations, who specialize in the Chrysler Town and Country series. It is described by its caretaker as “running as well as any one you will ever find, and it really drives nice. It looks great; it really does.”
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